Building an application usually costs from around €10,000 for a simple app to more than €100,000 for a complex platform. Where your project sits in that range depends less on the number of screens than on what the application has to do: its type, complexity, features, integrations, platforms and development approach. At Morpheon, app projects start from €10,000, and most custom platforms begin at around €35,000.
This guide sets out realistic budgets by complexity and application type, explains what drives the price and shows what a quotation should include. It draws on our work in custom application development for startups, organisations and public institutions.
In short: The cost of building an application depends on its complexity, features and platform. Simple applications generally cost €10,000–€25,000, while more advanced mobile and web applications usually require €35,000–€100,000. Complex platforms with extensive integrations and custom architecture can exceed €100,000. A reliable estimate requires defining the application’s functionality and technical requirements first.
How much does it cost to build an application?
The table below gives indicative budgets by level of complexity. They cover strategy, design, development, testing and launch. Hosting, subscriptions and maintenance come on top and are covered later in this guide.
| Application type | What it typically includes | Indicative budget | Typical timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple application | A focused set of features, few or no integrations, standard interface patterns | €10,000–€25,000 | 2–3 months |
| MVP | The essential features needed to test a product idea with real users | €10,000–€50,000 | 6–12 weeks |
| Medium complexity | Custom UX/UI, user accounts, payments or bookings, integrations, an administration dashboard | €35,000–€80,000 | 3–6 months |
| Complex application | Advanced business logic, multiple integrations, real-time features, demanding security requirements | €80,000–€150,000 | 6–9 months |
| Enterprise application | Complex infrastructure, high availability, enterprise system integrations, compliance requirements | €150,000+ | 9 months+ |
These are ranges, not price lists: integrations, data and the expected level of polish can move a project within its band.
An MVP (minimum viable product) is a development approach rather than a fixed level of complexity. The aim is to release the smallest version of a product that delivers real value, then learn from how people use it. A simple booking tool can be an MVP; so can the first release of an ambitious SaaS platform. What defines it is a deliberately limited scope, not a price. We look at budgets in detail in how much an MVP costs and at timelines in how long it takes to build an MVP.
What can you build with a €20,000, €50,000 or €100,000 budget?
Around €20,000. A focused MVP or simple application built around one core workflow, such as a booking tool for a service business or an internal app that replaces a spreadsheet process. Expect user authentication, a few carefully designed screens, a straightforward backend and administration through existing tools rather than a custom dashboard.
Around €50,000. A cross-platform mobile app with a web administration area, or a web application with several user journeys. Custom UX/UI, user roles, online payments, notifications and one or two integrations, such as a CRM, become realistic. Customer portals and first-version marketplaces often sit here.
Around €100,000. A product with several user roles, complex business logic and multiple integrations, with room for real-time features, analytics, multilingual content and a cloud architecture designed to scale. Many B2B SaaS platforms start at this level.
How much does app development cost by application type?
The type of application and the platforms it targets shape its technical requirements, and therefore its budget. Artificial intelligence adds another layer, with model selection, data preparation, evaluation and usage-based costs to plan, which is why we treat AI-powered web and mobile applications as a discipline of their own.
Mobile application development costs
How much does it cost to develop a mobile application? For a product with its own backend, custom design and a launch on both stores, budgets typically fall between €30,000 and €100,000. Three decisions make the biggest difference.
Native or cross-platform. Native development means separate apps for iOS (Swift) and Android (Kotlin), with much of the interface work done twice. Cross-platform frameworks such as React Native and Flutter share most of the code across both platforms. For most business applications, they deliver native-quality performance at a lower total cost.
The backend. Almost every mobile app relies on a server to store data, manage accounts, send notifications and connect to other systems. It is often a significant share of the project, even though users never see it.
App store deployment. Publishing requires an Apple Developer Program membership (99 USD per year) and a Google Play developer account (25 USD, one-off). Both stores also review apps against their own guidelines, and preparing a compliant submission takes time.
For JustMarriedBooth, we designed and built an AI photobooth app with 3D avatars and its own sound design. See how it came together in the JustMarriedBooth case study.
Web application development costs
How much does it cost to build a web application? Custom web applications such as SaaS platforms, booking systems, marketplaces and customer portals usually start at around €35,000, and complex platforms regularly exceed €100,000.
A web application is not a website. A website mainly presents information; a web application lets users do something, such as manage data, make a booking, buy from several sellers or work as a team. That means business logic, a database, user roles, security and usually integrations, which puts its scope closer to a mobile app than to a website.
One codebase runs in every browser, there is no store review and updates reach users immediately. In return, web applications need responsive design, browser compatibility and careful performance work. Our web application development projects cover the full stack, from interface to backend systems, and our custom platforms and applications offer explains how these engagements work.
How much does it cost to develop an iOS app?
The cost of developing an iOS app is broadly similar to that of an Android app with the same scope. What differs are the platform requirements:
- Native development in Swift and SwiftUI gives immediate access to new Apple features.
- Apple integrations such as Apple Pay, Sign in with Apple, HealthKit or widgets each add design, development and testing time.
- Testing must cover several iPhone and iPad models and iOS versions, with beta distribution through TestFlight.
- App Store requirements, including review guidelines, privacy declarations and in-app purchase rules, must be met before launch.
If you need both platforms, a cross-platform framework is usually the most efficient route.
What factors influence the cost of developing an app?
Features and functionality
Authentication, payments, real-time messaging, dashboards and complex business rules each bring their own development, testing and security work. Technical complexity matters far more than the number of screens: an app with ten screens that calculates prices from live supplier data can cost more than a content app with thirty. When you review a feature list, ask what happens behind each screen.
UI/UX design
The cost of designing an app depends on how much needs to be discovered and validated before development. A complete UX/UI process covers user research, wireframes, interactive prototypes, interface design and usability testing.
Good design reduces development cost, because problems are solved on screen rather than in code. This matters most for complex products, where clarity is hardest to achieve.
Backend development and integrations
The backend covers the database, business logic, APIs and the administration tools your team uses every day. Each integration, whether a payment provider, CRM, ERP or logistics system, has to be designed, built, secured and tested.
Security and scalability
Applications that handle personal, financial or health data need encryption, carefully managed access rights, audit trails and GDPR compliance, which adds work at every stage.
Expected traffic matters just as much. The ESA platform we built for the European Space Agency’s Solar Eclipse Trilogy was engineered for more than one million simultaneous users, a requirement that shaped infrastructure, testing and deployment from day one. Planning for scale costs less than rebuilding later, but over-engineering for traffic that never comes is also wasted budget.
Development team
- Freelancers can suit small, well-defined projects, but you manage coordination, testing and project management yourself.
- Agencies bring strategy, design, development, quality assurance and project management under one roof, with one point of accountability.
- In-house teams offer control and continuity, but recruitment and salaries make them a significant fixed cost, usually justified once the product is established.
The lowest daily rate rarely produces the lowest total cost. Rework, delays and missing quality assurance usually cost more than the difference. If you are comparing partners, our guide on how to choose a mobile app development agency sets out the questions worth asking.
What is included in the cost of developing an application?
A professional quotation should cover the whole journey from idea to launch:
- Discovery and planning: requirements, technical specifications and feature prioritisation.
- UX/UI design: user flows, wireframes and interface design.
- Development: frontend, backend, databases and integrations.
- Testing: functional, compatibility, performance and security testing.
- Deployment: production setup, app store submission and launch.
At Morpheon, this work runs in four phases: strategy and validation, architecture and planning, design and engineering, then deployment and optimisation. Each project is led by a single point of contact supported by a senior team of architects, designers and engineers.
Be careful when comparing quotations. One agency may include discovery, design and testing while another prices them separately or leaves them out, so a lower figure can simply mean a narrower scope. Check that each proposal covers the same phases and deliverables.
How much does it cost to maintain an application?
Launch is the start of an application’s life, not the end of its budget. Ongoing costs usually include:
- Hosting and infrastructure: servers, databases, storage and content delivery.
- Security updates: patches to frameworks, libraries and servers.
- Bug fixes: issues that appear with real usage and new devices.
- Operating system compatibility: updates for new versions of iOS, Android and browsers.
- Third-party subscriptions: payment, email, maps, analytics and developer accounts.
- Monitoring and maintenance: tracking performance, errors and availability.
- Future improvements: changes driven by user feedback and business priorities.
Maintenance keeps an application secure, stable and compatible; new functionality extends what it can do and should be budgeted as separate work. For organisations that want to keep improving after launch, we also offer ongoing collaborations, described on our offers page.
How can you reduce app development costs?
Start with an MVP
Building the essential functionality first lowers the initial investment and validates demand before you commit to the full product. Real usage data then shows which features deserve the next budget. Our guide to MVP development costs explains what each level of MVP budget can realistically deliver.
Prioritise essential features
Separate what users need from the first release from what can follow. If the product still solves its core problem without a feature, that feature can probably wait, and it will be built later with better information.
Choose the right technology
Cross-platform frameworks avoid building the same interface twice. Proven services for authentication, payments or email remove the need to develop them from scratch, and reusable interface components keep the product consistent as it grows. Spend the budget on what makes your product different.
Define requirements before development
Changes are cheapest on paper and most expensive in code. A clear specification, validated prototypes and agreed priorities prevent costly changes mid-project.
How do you get an accurate app development cost estimate?
An accurate estimate needs a defined scope and a technical assessment. Before requesting a quotation, prepare:
- Business objectives: what the application should achieve and how success will be measured.
- Target users: who will use it and in what context.
- Essential features: what the first release must include.
- Preferred platforms: iOS, Android, web or a combination.
- Required integrations: the systems it needs to connect with.
- Expected timeline: launch dates and fixed deadlines.
- Available budget: even a range helps a partner propose the right scope.
A fixed price suits a clearly defined scope: the cost is known upfront and changes go through formal requests. Time and materials suits products that will evolve during development: you pay for the time spent, with more flexibility and closer budget tracking. Many projects combine both, with a fixed-price discovery phase followed by flexible development.
Every custom application development project at Morpheon begins with an initial strategic assessment of scope, architecture and execution approach. You leave with a clear view of the next steps and a realistic budget range, and we can sign an NDA before you share the details of your idea.
Frequently asked questions
Can you build an app for €10,000?
Yes, with a tightly focused scope. €10,000 can cover a simple application or a lean MVP built around one core feature, usually with a cross-platform framework and existing services. It will not cover custom integrations, complex business logic or an extensive administration area.
Is it cheaper to build a web app or a mobile app?
Neither is always cheaper. A web app runs from one codebase in every browser and avoids store review. A mobile app makes fuller use of device features such as the camera, location and push notifications, but may need two platforms. The right choice depends on how your users will use the product.
How much does it cost to design an app?
UX/UI design is usually priced separately from development. Its cost depends on the number of user journeys and the depth of research, prototyping and testing. For a focused app it is a modest part of the budget; for a complex product it becomes a substantial phase, and the one that does most to prevent expensive changes later.
How long does it take to develop an application?
Most applications take three to nine months from start to launch. A focused MVP can often be ready in six to twelve weeks, while complex and enterprise platforms often need nine months or more. For the MVP stage specifically, see how long it takes to build an MVP.
Is it cheaper to develop an app for iOS or Android?
For the same features, costs are broadly similar. Android has more devices to test on, while iOS has its own design and review requirements. If you need both, a cross-platform framework such as React Native or Flutter usually costs less than two native apps.
What are the hidden costs of app development?
The most overlooked costs come after launch: hosting, third-party subscriptions, security updates, operating system compatibility, app store fees, monitoring and future enhancements. Budget for them from the start.
Planning an application? Let’s discuss your project.
Every application has different requirements, and an accurate estimate starts with understanding what you want to build. Morpheon helps businesses define their scope, select the right technology and plan development around their objectives and budget.
